362 THE GERMAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



but before we reached it, imposing fields of glaciers were 

 visible. We now found ourselves more to the north side 

 of Clavering Island. The chief glacier of this valley, the 

 farther end of which might be 800 feet above the level of 

 the sea, showed the most perfect lateral and central 

 moraines. The height of the tide in the Fjord at this 

 spot was from two to three feet. 



Our road here was a perfect rocky street, leading us 

 now over a field of snow some miles in extent, and then 

 over smooth ice, interspersed with spots of snow, which 

 we crossed on skates. After a while this became imprac- 

 ticable. We went on in the increasing darkness along 

 the north-west strand of the island, and, after travelling 

 twenty nautical miles, halted at six p.m. The object of 

 our journey had now been proved, and, more than that, 

 we found that the Sound opened into two arms running 

 westward. 



The west side, which from here we had almost entirely 

 overlooked, consisted of the coarse-grained, greyish- 

 yellow granite which had been washed from the heights, 

 crumbling easily, and thoroughly percolated by the streams 

 running down from the glaciers, at some distance giving 

 one tliQ impression of weather-beaten sandstone. This 

 sedimentary formation fell five degrees towards the west. 

 The surface was covered with a thick growth of birches 

 and willows, and grasses of a few inches high. This 

 spot was the richest in vegetation of any I had seen in 

 Greenland ; and we might therefore count upon the pre- 

 sence of reindeer, which was all the more welcome, as 

 the continuation of our journey depended upon the 

 success of our hunters. 



Whilst Ilcrzberg and Ivcrsen lumted, and Wagner 



